As New York City reels from a deadly mass shooting in midtown Manhattan that killed four, including an NYPD officer, the Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is getting renewed attention for a recent pledge to eliminate a key police department responsible for riots, civil disorder and shootings.

Mamdani, who is currently in Uganda celebrating his wedding, has previously called to defund the police, though as a mayoral candidate, he has taken a much more subdued tone regarding policing.

However, while already a candidate for mayor, Mamdani pledged on X in December 2024 to «disband» the New York Police Department’s Strategic Response Group (SRG).  

The SRG is one of the NYPD’s special operations units, which, according to the force’s official website, specializes in disorder response, crime suppression and crowd control and «responds to citywide mobilizations, civil disorders, and major events with highly trained personnel and specialized equipment.»

MAMDANI’S PAST ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ STANCE RESURFACES AFTER DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTING

The website also says that SRG personnel are «also deployed to areas requiring an increased police presence due to increased crime or other conditions» and «mobilizes for shootings, bank robberies, missing persons, demonstrations, or other significant incidents.»

In December, Mamdani claimed that the NYPD had deployed the SRG to «harass + arrest striking @teamsters.»

Mamdani pledged: «As Mayor, I will disband the SRG, which has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements + brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their first amendment rights.»

In response to the shooting, Mamdani has said, «I’m heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts.»

HERO COPS AND GOD SAVED LIVES AFTER THE SHOOTER OPENED FIRE, ERIC ADAMS SAYS

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers respond to the scene of a shooting at 345 Park Ave. in New York, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025. An active shooter attacked 345 Park Ave. in Manhattan, the tower housing Blackstone Inc.’s global headquarters and the National Football League among others, killing one police officer and injuring several other people, according to a city official.  (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He also noted he is «grateful for all of our first responders on the ground.»

On Monday, a lone gunman, later identified as Shane Tamura, walked into a midtown Manhattan office building and opened fire, killing four people before turning the gun on himself. 

The four people killed in the shooting were identified as NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, security guard Aland Etienne and Julia Hyman, an associate at Rudin Management.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but the gunman reportedly had a grievance with the NFL, blaming the sport of football for apparent issues with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a side effect from repeated hits to the head.

PHOTO SHOWS HOW EMPLOYEES BARRICADED DURING NYC SHOOTING

NYPD pays condolences for Police Officer Didarul Islam (Getty Images )

In response to the tragedy, Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, announced Tuesday that «as a mark of respect for the memory of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam who died in the line of duty and the multiple victims of the mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan at 345 Park Avenue yesterday, I’ve ordered all flags on all city buildings and stationary flagstaffs throughout the five boroughs to be lowered to half-staff until further notice.» 

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«Officer Didarul Islam died as he lived, a hero and protector of New York City. We will never forget you,» Adams wrote in another post on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Tsunami waves arrived on the eastern coast of Japan on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake triggered fears of a tsunami across much of the Pacific Ocean basin, including the shores of Hawaii, southern Alaska, the entire U.S. West Coast and British Columbia.

Tsunami Warnings are in effect for Hawaii and parts of Alaska and the U.S. West Coast, while British Columbia is under a Tsunami Advisory after the earthquake struck just east of Petropavlovsk, Russia, according to FOX Weather.

Several people were injured in the remote Russian region of the Kamchatka Peninsula, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard was ordered to evacuate.

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«Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,» Kamchatka Gov. Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on Telegram.

A tsunami with a height of 10-13 feet was recorded in parts of Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations.

Several people underwent medical assistance after the earthquake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told TASS, a Russian-owned news agency.

«Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,» Melnikov said.

«All patients are currently in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far,» he added.

Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Services said the port in the Sakhalin town of Severo-Kurilsk and a fish processing plant in the area were partially flooded by a tsunami. People in the area have been evacuated.

A kindergarten damaged by the earthquake is seen in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, July 30, 2025. (Reuters)

A kindergarten was also damaged, but most buildings withstood the earthquake and no fatalities were reported, the ministry said.

Japan’s weather agency said it expected tsunami waves of up to 10 feet to reach large coastal areas.

Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan’s Pacific coast, as authorities urged people to seek higher ground.

Many people on the northern island of Hokkaido were seen on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats were removed from harbors to avoid potential damage from the waves, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.

No injuries or damage have been reported so far, Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Waves reaching more than 10 feet were possible along some coasts of Russia and Ecuador, while waves of three to 10 feet were possible in Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said. Smaller waves were possible along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the U.S. West Coast.

YOUR PHONE PREDICTS AN EARTHQUAKE

Locals evacuate to higher ground in their cars after Japan issued evacuation alert following major quake in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered a tsunami warning, in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan July 30, 2025. (Kyodo/via REUTERS )

«Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii,» U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media. «A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way.»

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom later said a tsunami warning was in effect along parts of California’s north coast.

Hawaii ordered evacuations from some coastal areas. Residents of low-lying areas were urged to either move to higher ground or to the fourth floor of a building.

«People need to evacuate, that’s very clear,» Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a video posted to X.

«Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,» the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management wrote on X.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Un terremoto de magnitud 8,8 grados en la escala de Ritcher sacudió este martes la costa este de Rusia, informó el Servicio Geológico de Estados Unidos (USGS). El poderoso sismo desencadenó un tsunami en la costa este de Rusia y el norte de Japón.

Las autoridades rusas evacuaron a más de 2 mil personas en Severo-Kurilsk, donde se registraron inundaciones, mientras que la alerta por tsunami se extendió a gran parte del Pacífico, América Latina y Oceanía.

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Un terremoto de 8,7 grados sacudió la costa este de Rusia y hay alerta de tsunami en el océano Pacífico. (Video: X/@AlertaMundoNews).

Videos difundidos en redes sociales muestran calles anegadas y edificios parcialmente sumergidos por el agua de mar. Aunque varias personas resultaron heridas, no hubo reportes de gravedad, según la prensa oficial.

El epicentro se situó a unos 136 kilómetros al este de la ciudad de Petropávlovsk-Kamtchatski, en la península de Kamchatka, a una profundidad de 19 kilómetros.

Japón evacuó la planta nuclear de Fukushima

En Japón, la Agencia Meteorológica alertó que “los tsunamis golpearán repetidamente” y pidió a la población mantenerse alejada de la costa. En Hokkaido se registró una ola inicial de 30 centímetros, y se evacuó preventivamente a los trabajadores de la planta nuclear de Fukushima, arrasada en 2011 por un desastre similar. Algunas líneas ferroviarias fueron suspendidas como medida de precaución.

En Chile, el Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada evalúa la amenaza de maremoto para la costa de ese país. Ecuador también aparece entre los países que podrían verse afectados por olas de más de tres metros de alto como consecuencia del terremoto frente a la costa de Rusia, informó el Centro de alerta de tsunamis de Estados Unidos.

El presidente chileno, Gabriel Boric, afirmó este miércoles en redes sociales: “Tenemos alerta de tsunami para toda la costa de Chile. El protocolo es evacuar 3 horas antes de la estimación de llegada de la ola. Estaremos informando en detalle los pasos a seguir. Mantengan la calma y solo sigan instrucciones de autoridades”.

En México, la Marina alertó sobre “corrientes fuertes en la entrada de los puertos” desde Baja California hasta Chiapas, mientras que Protección Civil instó a la población a alejarse de las costas. Estados Unidos activó alertas en toda la franja costera desde Alaska hasta California, incluyendo Hawái.

La alerta de tsunami también rige para todo el litoral de Perú y una advertencia de alta probabilidad para las Islas Galápagos, en Ecuador.

La Dirección de Hidrografía y Navegación de la Marina de Guerra del Perú lanzó la alerta tras realizar varias evaluaciones técnicas del evento sísmico. Aunque no se precisaron las horas exactas de llegada de las olas, se advirtió que el fenómeno podría afectar toda la franja costera del país.

Las autoridades remarcaron que un tsunami no es una ola única, sino una serie de ondas que pueden alcanzar la costa a intervalos de entre cinco minutos y una hora. “El peligro puede persistir por muchas horas después del arribo de la primera onda”, señalaron.

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El Servicio Geológico de Estados Unidos (USGS) corrigió la magnitud inicial del sismo de 8,0 a 8,8, y lo calificó como el más fuerte en la región desde 1952. Se registraron al menos seis réplicas, incluyendo una de magnitud 6,9. La península de Kamchatka, ubicada en el “Anillo de Fuego del Pacífico”, es una de las zonas sísmicas más activas del planeta.

Noticia que está siendo actualizada.-